Production and purification of 2-phenylethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using tobacco waste extract as a substrate

2-phenylethanol (2-PE), which is extracted naturally from plant or biotechnology processing, is widely used in the food and cosmetics industries. Due to the high cost of 2-PE production, the valorization of waste carbon to produce 2-PE has gained increasing attention. Here, 2-PE was produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using tobacco waste extract (TWE) as the substrate. Considering the toxicity of nicotine and its inhibition of 2-PE, the tolerance of S. cerevisiae was first evaluated. The results suggested that the production of 2-PE by S. cerevisiae in TWEs could be carried out at 2·0 mg ml^-1 nicotine concentrations and may be inhibited by 1·0 mg ml^-1 2-PE. Thus, the compounds in the TWEs prepared at different temperatures were detected, and the results revealed that the TWEs prepared at 140°C contained 2·18 mg ml^-1 of nicotine, had total sugar concentrations of 26·8 mg ml^-1 and were suitable for 2-PE production. Due to feedback regulation, the 2-PE production was only 1·11 mg ml^-1 , and the remaining glucose concentration remained at 13·78 mg ml^-1 , which indicated insufficient glucose utilization. Then, in situ product recovery was further implemented to remove this inhibition; the glucose utilization (the remaining concentration decreased to 3·64 mg ml^-1 ) increased, and the 2-PE production increased to 1·65 mg ml^-1 . The 2-PE produced in the fermentation broth was first isolated by elution from the resin with 75% ethanol and then by removing the impurities with 2·5% activated charcoal, and pure 2-PE was identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The results of this study suggest that TWE could be an alternative carbon source for 2-PE production. This could provide an outlet tobacco waste as well as reducing the price of natural 2-PE, although more strategies need to be explored to improve the production yield of 2-PE by using TWE.